The American Concrete Pavement Association (ACPA) has named recipients of its 22nd annual “Excellence in Concrete Pavement” awards, which recognize quality concrete pavements constructed in the United States and Canada.

The awards program encourages high-quality workmanship in concrete pavement projects, and serves as a forum for sharing information about highly successful projects. Judges representing various stakeholder groups throughout the transportation-construction community evaluate projects.

The program recognizes contractors, engineers, and project owners who completed outstanding projects. One of the requirements of the program is that projects must be completed in the calendar year prior to judging, which is why project descriptions show dates of 2010 or earlier.

The awards fall into 14 categories applicable to construction and preservation of highways, roadways, airports, and industrial pavement facilities.

The award winners include 25 ACPA contractor members, and were distributed geographically among 17 different regions represented by 15 ACPA-affiliated Chapter/States.

ACPA presents awards in both gold and silver levels. Judging is based on a point system, with independent judges awarding points for quality construction, addressing unique and unusual challenges, innovation, traffic management, and other criteria. In the case of ties, award judges present awards to co-winners. The recipients of the 2011 ACAPA Excellence Awards are the following:

Commercial Service & Military Airports — Gold

Project: South Runway Repair – Andersen Air Force Base Guam

Contractor: Black Construction Corporation

Owner: U.S. Department of the Air Force

Engineer: Stanley Consultants, Inc.

Andersen AFB serves a key role in supporting both combat and military airlift missions in support of the United States war on terrorism. The South Runway is critical to maintaining that support, but the existing 50-year-old runway had deteriorated and needed to be replaced. The project included the removal and replacement of the existing runway, as well as the removal and replacement of degraded airfield lighting; arresting gear realignment and reconstruction; and repairs to taxiway intersections.

The project was challenging because of the size of the project, the mobilization required for the construction equipment not readily available on the island, the comprehensive quality control performance requirements, and the unique challenges of working in a remote location during Guam’s rainy season. The team completed the runway two months ahead of the original contract completion date and with over 263,000 hours logged without a lost time incident.

This $10.5 million design-build project included replacement of the runway wings and keel section, as well as construction of a new parking ramp for the much anticipated F-35 Joint Strike Fighter aircraft and speed of delivery standpoint.

The project scope included removal and replacement of 32,540 SY of 12.5 in. and 20.5 in. concrete on the runway, with 21,230 SY of 12.5 in. concrete and 5,780 SY of 6 in. concrete shoulders. Other work included airfield electrical, structure adjustments, high security fencing, tie downs, monitoring well adjustments, blast deflector installation, observation tower demolition and miscellaneous structural removals.

Awarded in July 2009, the design began immediately, but aircraft testing and the Space Shuttle schedule dictated a January 2010 construction start. Further delayed by unusual rainfall and the addition of a hydrant and piping system, schedule setbacks were averted by performing the ramp and runway work concurrently.

One of the first challenges on this project was the submittal process for materials and mix-designs, whose stringent criteria required special consideration by HPI, which quickly adapted and met the requirements on the submittals.

A second hurdle occurred when HPI and the owner reviewed safety procedures. . The air base had changed to a new program, which required HPI to improve and resubmit the site-specific safety plan.

Throughout the project, issues arose on the project that required re-design and or additional work. Even so, HPI performed more than $1 million of added work, and still completed the total project approximately six weeks ahead of schedule.

A final hurdle came in the form of a new aircraft arresting system, which had a six-month delivery schedule, which could have affected the construction challenge. Despite these challenges, HPI still managed to have the system installed and fully operational by the time the runway was opened.

Concrete Pavement Restoration (CPR) — Gold

Project: Martin Luther King Boulevard Rehabilitation, Denver, Colo.

Contractor: Villalobos Concrete

Owner/Engineer: City and County of Denver

Martin Luther King Boulevard, from Colorado Blvd to Quebec St is a two centerline mile stretch of urban arterial that was constructed in concrete approximately 70 years ago. The 2010 rehabilitation project focused on three areas; replacing selected panels as necessary, perform partial depth concrete repairs as needed and performed a surface grind to improve IRI values. The stretch of arterial is approximately 70,000 SY of concrete pavement and treatment costs averaged $32/SY.

The project relied on field design for the bulk of the work which kept design costs low and enabled to use a higher percentage of available funding for construction. Approximately 1/3 of the pavement was fully replaced and the entire surface was diamond ground. the IRI was improved by 15%. It is estimated several decades of pavement life was added to this 70+ year old pavement section.

The key to the success of this project was an experienced and knowledgeable contractor. From the bottom to the top of the organization, the contractor’s personnel were concerned about the quality of the finished product.

They were on top of the schedule, accounted for weather delays, and always looking ahead to the next operation. Test results for water/cement ratio, aggregate quality, and gradation were all in the incentive ranges, and the exceptional ride quality also received a significant bonus. The contractor also showed innovation on this project as he grooved the striping into the plastic concrete after seeing a picture in a Concrete Paving Association of Minnesota’s newsletter.

Access was one of the biggest challenges on this project. Detailed phasing and scheduling was required to maintain access to existing homes and a residential cul-de-sac whose only access was via CSAH 34.

Access to a gas station and a lawn care business was maintained by constructing temporary access driveways across adjacent properties, via agreements. Several intersections were also required to remain open during construction; therefore requiring temporary detours and/or paving one-half at a time.

Thanks to better than normal weather, the final third of the project was complete and opened to traffic just before Thanksgiving. Given the amount of storm sewer, grading, and paving work associated with this project, we expected a challenge in opening the road by the scheduled opening date of November 13. In the final analysis, cooperation among the contractor and subcontractors allowed the roadway to be opened before winter.

This project involved reconstructing the existing roadway, which was comprised of two 12-ft lanes of 9 in. continuously reinforced concrete pavement (CRCP), a 4-ft inside asphalt shoulder, and a 12-ft outside asphalt shoulder. The new typical section comprises a 12 ft shoulder, three 12-ft lanes, and one 13-ft lane of 12-in, CRCP, as well as an 11-ft asphalt shoulder. The project scope also included reconstruction of eight ramps for two interchanges, as well as two ramps at a welcome center.

A value engineering proposal provided saved $3.7 million. Other highlights included changing the proposed asphalt shoulder to concrete; elimination of a traffic stage; and use of a conveyor to transport concrete over Interstate traffic. Also, a two-track paver was converted to a three-leg paver and existing concrete pavement and reinforcing steel were recycled for other projects.

Divided Highways (Rural) — Silver

Project: Interstate-385 Rehabilitation, Laurens, S.C.

Contractor: McCarthy Improvement Company

Owner/Engineer: South Carolina Department of Transportation

For the first time in the South Carolina DOT’s history, a section of Interstate was closed to allow reconstruction. The project completion window eight months, and late completion penalties of $50,000/day were set.

Concrete paving began on January 19th using stringless technology coupled with a dowel bar insertion system. Over the span of 280 days, the project endured three snow storms, two 25-year rain events, and more than 110 total days of precipitation. It was the wettest and coldest winter in more than 27 years.

On April 30, the project was 38 days behind schedule, but thanks to good weather and perseverance the crews forged ahead, and on July 23, 2010 the northbound lanes were reopened24 days ahead of schedule.

ODOT officials identified this section of I-40 as one of the worst interstate pavements in the metropolitan area. The project was expedited because of the nearly $30 million dollars in federal funding available in economic stimulus program known as ARRA.

This high profile $61.5 Million project encompassed nearly eight miles of highway in each direction and required the construction of 42 lane miles of roadway. The project also called for rebuilding of three bridges over several I-40 intersections. The project received an early finish bonus equaling $2.5 Million, a smooth ride bonus equaling $685,000.

This design build project includes the design reconstruction and widening of mainline Interstate 15. The project consisted of 361,000 SY of 11-in. concrete over existing and new asphalt. The paving was completed in just over 12 months, with a winter shutdown period included.

The project team minimized impact to the public while maintaining both the schedule and the budget.

Movable barriers were used to maintain three lanes in the peak direction of travel. The project was completed approximately three months ahead of schedule. The required profile index of 5 was achieved and a portion of the smoothness incentive awarded. The 4-mile section of I-15 now has an Express lane and three general purpose lanes in each direction along with new bridges, ramp improvements, and a new interchange at 1000 North.

Loop 303 in Maricopa County, Ariz., was planned by the ADOT to address the explosive growth experienced in the Phoenix metropolitan area.

The $100 million, 5.35 mile major highway project included more than 2.1 million CY of excavation through a variety of soils and rock; more than 8 million pounds of reinforced steel; 341,300 SY of concrete pavement; and 20,306 tons of asphalt pavement.

The contractor conferred with the designer and the owner representatives to develop value-added elements that saved more than $1 million dollars which was split 50/50 with Austin. These elements also shortened the original schedule by one month.

The project also was completed in an environmentally-sensitive area, home to endangered species such as the burrowing owl and desert tortoise, as well as the environmentally protected saguaro cactus.

Industrial Paving — Gold

Project: Hornsby Bend Biosolids Management Plant, Austin, Texas

Contractor: CHASCO Constructors

Owner: Austin Water Utility

Engineer: HVJ Associates, Inc.

Austin, Texas, for the past quarter century, has recycled its wastewater biosolids, composting them, along with yard trimmings, into a marketable compost called Dillo Dirt™.

Hornsby Bend, a 1,200 acre site, is home to the processing facility. The composting operation requires a pavements that can stand up to fully-loaded trucks, large front-end loaders, and biosolids. Built in 1986, the 25-acre processing area was one of the first roller-compacted concrete (RCC) pavements in the nation. The compost pads remain in good condition, but portions of the heavily- trafficked RCC pad had failed.

When the facility underwent a 15 acre expansion using an ARRA-funded zero-interest loan, continuously reinforced concrete pavement (CRCP) was used for the new pads; concrete also was used for the stormwater storage basins and repairs to the haul road.

The contractor was expected to finish the project in 24 months, but did so in only 12 months, thanks to precise planning and execution.

Industrial Paving — Silver

Project: 4th Street Industrial Pavement Replacement, Oak Grove, Mo.

Contractor: Amino Brothers

Owner: City of Oak Grove

Engineer: Bartlett & West

Approximately 650 linear ft of 36-ft wide concrete pavement along 4th Street east of Broadway (Missouri Route F) had failed. City staff had considered milling and placing an asphalt overlay, but decided against that as a permanent solution.

A sequencing scheme was developed to split the project into three 12-ft lanes of concrete pavement. A truck stop and convenience store, with three drive entrances, occupies an adjacent property to the north. Businesses to the south all have dual driveways. The south lane was divided into 4 phases so that one driveway to each business could be accessible at all times. The center and north lanes were constructed in two phases each.

Lab-cured cylinders consistently demonstrated 4,000 psi strengths, which allowed traffic to be re-opened to each phase after just seven days. The project was completed within schedule and with minimal disruption to adjacent businesses.

Municipal Streets & Intersections (<30,000 SY) — Gold

Project: South Broadway Reconstruction Project, Denver

Contractor: Concrete Works of Colorado, Inc.

Owner: City and County of Denver

Engineer: Jacobs Engineering Group Inc.

The newly reconstructed South Broadway is the first four-block phase of the South Broadway Corridor project.

The water main under Broadway had to be replaced, as well as the service lines to each address. This unexpected utility work was added to the project after construction. The project included new concrete pavement; road widening; sidewalks; medians; turn lanes; traffic signals; utility upgrades, major drainage and storm sewer improvements; wheelchair ramps, and new street lighting. A number of streetscape enhancements also were included. Impacts to businesses were a major concern and were addressed right down to the smallest detail. For example, sidewalk work was always completed in just one day– usually on Mondays when the antique businesses were typically closed–to minimize impact.

Public outreach also was key to minimize impacts to affected businesses and the traveling public.

Despite the unforeseen and very complicated utility work that ran concurrently at the start,

the project was completed on time.

Municipal Streets & Intersections (<30,000 SY) — Silver

Project: Byron Center 84th Streetscape, Kent County, Mich.

Contractor: Van Laan Concrete Construction Co.

Owner: Kent County Road Commission

Engineer: Byron Township, Mich.

The Bryon Center Streetscape project incorporated complex colored concrete patterns at three roadway intersections, crosswalks, and along the walkway. The project also included brick pavers, decorative lighting, and streetscape furniture. The concrete was placed with two contrasting colors that required special sequencing. The innovative use of plate dowels to provide load transfer between the crosswalk, 8-inch bands around the crosswalk, and the surrounding concrete pavement was a unique and new process for both the contractor and the project owner.

From a public relations standpoint, the project was difficult due to its location in the main business district of Byron Township. The main business district also served as the center venue for “Bryon Days” and Byron Homecoming parade as the project was underway. Workplace safety and security were always a concern given the large volume of foot traffic that always seemed to be present.

Municipal Streets & Intersections (<30,000 SY) — Silver

Project: US 56 – 10th Street Improvements, Great Bend, Kan.

Contractor: Pavers Inc.

Owner: City of Great Bend, Kan.

Engineer: H. W. Lochner, Inc.

The City elected to reconstruct this 3,082 lineal ft section with 9 in. of doweled, jointed concrete pavement. The area included 40 businesses, 8 intersections, and 31 driveway entrances. The project also included 2,000 lineal ft of storm drainage pipe and concrete drainage box; 33 drainage structures; curb and gutter and sidewalks on both sides of the street.

There was either a driveway entrance or intersection almost every 200 ft along the project. The construction of a new five-lane roadway was divided into three major phases for construction, with the two main signaled intersections built a quarter at a time.

Facing a decision to complete construction during winter (or wait until spring), the contractor obtained ground-thawing thermal units to thaw the subgrade. In one instance the thermal units melted almost 5 in. of snow and thawed the subbase. The roadway was completed and opened in the 200 working days contained in the contract.

Municipal Streets & Intersections (>30,000 SY) — Gold

Project: Monona Drive, Monona, Wis.

Contractor: Trierweiler Construction Company

Owner: City of Monona

Engineer: Strand Associates, Inc.

Monona Drive (County BB) carries up to 32,000 vehicles per day and is the city’s main business roadway. Constructed in 1967 as a four-lane undivided concrete roadway, this 1-mile section had many issues, including a crash rate three times the state average; deteriorating pavement with severe spalling and joint failure; no bike accommodations; and incomplete pedestrian accommodation.

The Cities of Monona and Madison, Dane County, area business owners, residents, and consultant, and the contractor worked together to create a functional, durable, and attractive concrete roadway. The project called for 35,000 SY of concrete pavement with bike lanes; 1,000 SY of colored and textured concrete for crosswalks, median treatments, and truck aprons; a raised median that incorporated both stamped colored concrete and landscaping; 25,000 lineal ft of curb and gutter; and 60,000 SF of sidewalk.

Another hallmark of the project was the reduction in the number of driveways by almost 50 percent, a key factor in the goal to reduce accidents. Aesthetics were improved through landscape easements, landscaped terraces, decorative lighting, stone walls, street furniture, and more than 3,400 plantings.

Municipal Streets & Intersections (>30,000 SY) — Silver

Project: Broadway Reconstruction Project (Pine-Iris), Boulder, Colo.

Contractor: Concrete Express, Inc.

Owner: City of Boulder Public Works- Transportation

Engineer: Tsiouvaras Simmons Holderness

Broadway is one of the City’s primary “multi-modal” corridors, including 28,000 ADT and heavy bus transit use. The project spanned from the city’s downtown business district on the south, through a commercial area (including two shopping centers and a hospital), then transitioning to a residential area to the north.

The project included 1.25 miles of municipal street reconstruction, reconstruction of 16 intersections, enhancement of all corridor pedestrian and transit facilities, and reconstruction of significant public and private utilities. In addition to the 36,000 SY of 10-in. concrete pavement; the project also included 11,000 SY of 8-inch concrete driveway and 6-inch sidewalk; 15,300 lineal ft of curb and gutter; 6,050 lineal ft of reinforced concrete pipe; and 120 concrete manholes and inlets.

The $14.8 million project (design and construction) is the largest single transportation project in Boulder’s history.

With more than 64 years of service, many of the keyway joints in Runway 09/27 had failed, resulting in severe faulting. Also, the number of flights and the size of the aircraft using the airfield had increased significantly.

The owner chose an unbonded concrete overlay option because it met budget requirements and offered several constructability and environmental advantages. This project involved reducing the runway width and increasing its length by 350 feet. The excess 25 ft of concrete on the outsides was removed, crushed and reused as a base in the runway extension. An asphalt interlayer, topped with an 11 in. concrete overlay was placed over the existing runway.

The unbonded overlay provided two distinct environmental advantages. First, the contractor was able to build on the existing runway with minimal land disturbance, minimizing the impact to fragile wetlands adjacent to the runway. The contractor also was able to recycle the existing concrete and use it as base material.

Overlays (Airports) — Silver

Project: Columbus Municipal Airport Runway 5-23, Columbus, Ind.

Contractor: E&B Paving, Inc.

Owner: Columbus Municipal Airport

Engineer: RW Armstrong

Columbus Indiana Municipal Airport’s 6,400 ft long Runway 5-23 was due for rehabilitation after years of spot repairs to the existing hot mix asphalt (HMA) surface.

Budget considerations limited rehabilitation options to a 5 in. mill-and-fill over the entire runway or incremental placement of a 10 in. concrete overlay installed over multiple years, as funding would permit. Estimates to build the concrete overlay option over three separate years exceeded $8 million, twice the estimated cost of a one-year, 5 in. HMA solution.

The Indiana Chapter ACPA staff consulted with the airport’s manager and engineer to identify cost savings, and an alternate-design/alternate-bid scenario was developed.

The initial project scope called for a 10 in. of P501 concrete overlay placed in three separate phases. The contractor proposed combining two phases to reduce the days of airport closure. An intersecting runway remained open, with the exception of a 14 day closure required to construct the intersection.

Paving operations were performed primarily at night due to excessive heat. A total of 106,733 SY of concrete was placed from August 12 to September 3, and the runway was re-opened on schedule.

Overlays (Highways) — Gold

Project: Interstate-35 South of State Highway 15, Billings (Noble County),

Okla.,

Contractor: Duit Construction Company, Inc.

Owner/Engineer: Oklahoma Department of Transportation

This project consisted of concrete overlays along with full-depth removal sections. The 5-mile section of pavement was originally constructed in 1962 during the construction phasing of Interstate-35 from Perry to Blackwell, OK.

With constrictive A+B (cost-plus-time) requirements and severe penalties, the contractor was pressed to perform most of the contract work during the winter. ODOT originally had anticipated 470 calendar days to complete the project. Duit bid 275 calendar days to complete this project; the next closest bid was 400 calendar days. The engineer’s estimate at the time of bid was $17,078,982, but the contractor’s total bid was about $15.2 million.

ODOT and Duit recycled 100% of the removals, including existing concrete pavement, which was crushed and recycled back into the cement treated base. The milled asphalt and extra concrete also was crushed and reused.

Duit Construction completed the project on time and also received the overall ride incentive for the job.

Overlays (Highways) —Gold

Project: Interstate-35, Clay County, Mo.

Contractor: Ideker, Inc.

Owner/Engineer: Missouri DOT

The project allowed 22 months for completion, and within the time frame, 259 days of reduced head-to-head traffic on Interstate-35. Ideker set out to complete the project in slightly more than eight months, and was determined to use only 219 of the 259 days of head-to-head traffic.

Ideker turned to new technology—a GOMACO 2800 4-track paver equipped with a Leica PaveSmart system—to complete the 16-lane mile project without stringlines. Ideker equipped the milling machine with the Leica system to help accurately mill down the old roadway to a controlled depth and build an optimized road profile. For the paving, Ideker’s GOMACO paver used the Leica Geosystems LMGS 3D machine control systems and TPS 1201 Total Stations. Throughout this process, the contractor maintained an average of 7,000 ft of mainline paving per day.

Overlays (Highways) —Silver

Project: Rte. 36, Unbonded Concrete Overlay, Shelby County, Mo.

Contractor: Cedar Valley Corp.

Owner/Engineer: Missouri Department of Transportation

Missouri DOT tried a new approach to using concrete overlays by first conducting a detailed survey of the existing roadway and establishing a plan for cubic yards furnished. CVC was able to produce an accepted profile allowing for an average pavement thickness of 5.65 in. The contractor was responsible for developing and assuming the concrete yield risk for the new pavement profile.

CVC met several goals for the project, including no surface grinding. A second goal was to pave the project without a random crack. The project’s unique sawing pattern specified three centerlines and crosscuts on 6 ft centers. This pattern required 2.62 lineal ft of sawing per SY and a total of 267,000 lineal ft of sawing. CVC established daily production limits to ensure proper sawing.

Finally, CVC worked closely with MoDOT inspectors, local communities, and public agencies to ensure open communication and public safety throughout the paving process. All contract quality requirements for the project were achieved, including compressive strength, thickness, and texture. CVC also achieved the smoothness specification without the need for corrective action.

Overlays (Streets and Roads) —Gold

Project: County Road L-22, Sioux County, Iowa

Contractor: Cedar Valley Corp.

Owner/Engineer: Sioux County

The project involved almost 8 miles of unbounded concrete overlay. Among the important considerations for this project were access to agricultural facilities, other businesses, and residences.

Cedar Valley Corp. (CVC) worked closely with two large egg production facilities and a cattle operation on a daily basis. This allowed the facilities to schedule necessary deliveries prior to us closing their access.

Specifications called for a unique sawing pattern of three centerlines and crosscuts on 6 ft centers. This pattern required 2.73 lineal ft of sawing per SY. Daily production was limited by the amount of allowable sawing. On a typical day almost 40,000 lineal ft of sawing was required, and the entire required 276,000 lineal ft of sawing … all without a random crack.

In spite of working around two narrow bridges, CVC paved almost 8 miles with an average smoothness of 1.89 inches per mile.

Overlays (Streets and Roads) —Silver

Project: US 119 “3-in-1” Concrete Overlay Project, Uniontown, Pa.

Contractor: Golden Triangle Construction Company

Owner/Engineer: Pennsylvania DOT District 12-0

This 2.2-mile, 5-lane project was Pennsylvania’s first major concrete overlay project in more than 20 years. It features three types of concrete overlays: unbonded concrete over concrete, bonded concrete over composite, and bonded concrete over asphalt pavement.

Constructed as a two-lane highway in 1947 and 1955, the original pavement was later widened and overlaid with asphalt to create the existing 5-lane roadway. The project was originally designed as a mill-and-fill asphalt overlay, but was converted to a long-life concrete overlay as part of the FHWA/CP Tech Center Concrete Overlay Field Application Program.

Constructed along the heavily commercialized US119 corridor north of Uniontown, the project included eight intersections and 39 commercial and residential driveways (including entrances to a shopping mall and a university campus).

The project was a major success for both PennDOT and the concrete paving industry, and provided a positive experience base for additional concrete overlay projects in the state.

Three different concrete sections were used during this reconstruction to accommodate the different size aircraft that use the apron. After removing the full depth existing concrete, the first section included 16 in. of P-501 concrete pavement placed on 6 in. of P-305 lean concrete base. The second section was constructed with 11 in. of P-501 concrete on 11 in. of P-305 lean concrete base. Finally, the third section was constructed with 7 in. of P-501 concrete on 6 in. of P-209 crushed aggregate base course on 9 in.of P-154 subbase.

Concrete Works of Colorado’s concrete on-site wet batch plant produced consistent, high quality concrete for the duration of the project. All of the concrete pavement placed exceeded all project specifications and met all FAA acceptance criteria. Additionally, close attention paid to grade control provided for a finished pavement surface that was high quality and met all FAA acceptance criteria as set forth in the contract documents.

The project required Ulteig to address engineering, operational and financial challenges for this facility, which supports the economy of Wahpeton and the surrounding region. The strategies the company used include the use of well-graded aggregates; recycled pavement, and perforated storm sewer.

Especially unique to Harry Stern Field is the presence of a company that specializes in the restoration of vintage military aircraft, which are not equipped with modern instrumentation. As such, concrete pavement provides a much more visible runway for the pilots. The quality of the durable concrete runway also is important to protect these treasured aircraft.

The Wahpeton Airport Authority received more than $4.1 million dollars of ARRA funding, as well as almost $900,000 in Airport Improvement Program money to complete the project.

State Roads—Gold

Project: SR-26: Riverdale Road, 550 West to Washington Blvd.,

Riverdale, Utah

Contractor: Geneva Rock Products

Owner: Utah Department of Transportation

Engineer: Baker Engineering

Riverdale Road is a major arterial connecting four major cities with two Interstate highways, Interstate-15 and Interstate-84. More than 47,000 vehicles travel the corridor daily. Originally a five-lane, roadway, this facility was expanded to a seven-lane concrete corridor.

One third of the roadway was ahead of the holiday shopping season so that the public had complete access to the local businesses between Thanksgiving and the New Year. When the project resumed in early 2010, construction continued until the project was completed. The project was completed 24 days ahead of schedule near the end of October.

Maintaining access to the nearly 100 business in the 1.5 mile corridor; as a result of this challenge, there were total of 107 concrete placements.

During the project, there were zero recordable incidents or lost time accidents. Working as a team, Geneva Rock, Granite Construction, Parson Brinkerhoff, and UDOT were able to complete this project within budget, and ahead of schedule.

State Roads—Silver

Project: U.S. Highway 385, Idalia (Yuma County), Colo.

Contractor: Castle Rock Construction Company of Colorado

Owner/Engineer: Colorado Department of Transportation Region Four

The project entailed reconstruction of 11 miles of existing two-lane asphalt highway around near Idalia, Colo. The project involved 181,468 SY of 7.5 in. doweled concrete paving, which had to be constructed in three phases, each consisting of approximately 4 mile sections.

As is often the case on rural roadways, CDOT had used a full-depth reclamation, and then, covered it with asphalt overlay. This was the first project to use concrete paving instead of the asphalt overlay.

Obstacles that had to be overcome were the overall width of the roadway 28 feet, while also maintaining local, farming, and oil field traffic. The contractor used a paver ski rather than string line, narrowing the roadway needed at centerline by less than 30 in. Special care in the trimming phases ensured the track pad and ski pad were very smooth, an important consideration since a traditional stringline could not be set at the centerline.

The main objective of this project was to widen Mustang Rd. and Ranchwood Blvd. from one- to two-lanes in each direction.

This project involved removing the existing roadway, installing new traffic signals, and building a new drainage system and sidewalks. The project included 8.5 in. of doweled, jointed concrete with 6 in. curb and gutter. The project also involved placing 12,000 linear ft of pipe ranging from 18 in. up to 56 in.

This phase was particularly challenging because utility lines ran parallel and horizontal to the roadway. Almost 5,000 SY of 4 ft sidewalk were placed, in part to accommodate future foot traffic to and from a new high school.

Maintaining access to more than 75 driveways and street returns as well as five major intersections also posed a challenge. Duit devised a plan that allowed traffic on the 3 in. asphalt base, while paving other portions of the project. This reduced the original seven phases to four, saving ODOT over $250, 000 in temporary surfacing.

The project at I-470 and Strother Road in Lee’s Summit, Mo., involved the installation of a new diamond underpass interchange with new auxiliary lanes in a previously existing, four lane divided highway.

The new interchange and additional driving lanes serve two functions. First, they relieve traffic congestion. The new lanes provide motorists a convenient way to enter and exit the Interstate (as well as access to nearby Interstate-70 and Interstate-435) without having to find alternate routes. Also, Lee’s Summit Municipal Airport, located just a mile west of the new interchange, gains a new and more direct route to the Interstate system, making non-commercial air travel to the area more convenient. The second benefit of this project is the addition of new east-west municipal roadway that will open up the development of future commercial properties and the connection of city streets that will ease the local traffic flow on the Interstate.